I know many of our members' recordings are used for other people's pet projects, like background music in films, book readings, videos, etc... I know this because I have quite a few times given out contact information to someone looking to ask permission to use a certain member's recording. I know some of my music is 'out there' too and in fact just last night another 'project' was completed using my recording. I'm not saying this to brag, lot of you have your music on these types of projects too. But I have a couple things to say that may help you in your ongoing piano-recording endeavor.

1. A Polish man contacted me yesterday asking to use one of my Chopin mazurka recordings for his photography project. I said, "sure", until he told me which one. It is a recording that I knew had a couple mistakes in it (he is not a musician and did not detect the slips) and I had been meaning to re-record it for a long time, but just never got around to it. Now, this recording with errors was about to be launched in other places on the Internet, and I didn't want that to happen. So last night I re-recorded the mazurka, sent it to him, and he replaced it in his project and now it's all good.

2. The point of this is to remind all of you to be careful when submitting your recordings - make sure you are totally satisfied with them because you never know how often or where that recording may end up. I know I'm preaching to the choir here - most of you members' recordings are so nice and sound so good, but I have many that need to be redone and I wish I had just waited to get a better-quality recording before putting the piece up in the first place.

3. If you're interested, here is the link to the man's photo project in which he used my recording: http://www.jaroszewski-fotografia.com/m ... 0.flv.htmlWhat I think is interesting about the photos he uses (all of which are photos of Chopin's home in Żelazowa Wola), besides that they are about Chopin, is this one particular piano about halfway through the film. It's an upright piano where the sound board extends way up high to allow for the longer strings which would mean a better sound, right? I've never seen a piano like this before. Wonder how it sounds?

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

The piano to which you are referring is called a "Giraffe Piano". The giraffe piano was invented in Vienna and first appeared around 1798. You can Google (Bing, Yahoo or whatever you Chicago type people do) "giraffe piano" and some sites will actually appear.

I know, I like that house too! The rooms are so roomy! And bright! No wonder little Frederic was happy there.

Giraffe piano - wow, I had not heard or seen one of those until today. They are so strange-looking! But I wonder why they didn't catch on? They have longer strings so they must sound better than a standard upright, right? Hmmm....

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

Hi Monica, first of all the mazurka is beautifully played and it's no wonder that a Polish artist, of all possible peoples, realized its intrinsic value. As far as people using PS recordings in their projects, it's important to ask who, why, and how the recording will be used. He used it in a professional manner with honorable intentions, and didn't exploit it on Youtube on a stupid project, where the end result can be a free-for-all...

I think your case is a welcome exception. At least the person asked your permission. The Chopin mazurka fits the application perfectly - a beautiful and artistic tribute to Chopin and his home in Poland. It was very educational, I loved it. I watched and listened to it several times. However, when people use the music to misrepresent it for something else, usually in vain, that's when it can get dicey (for me at least). Congratulations, you're creating positive missionaries all around the world and touching the hearts of people that count... A truly a fantastic recording!

_________________"Nobility of spirit has more to do with simplicity than ostentation, wisdom rather than wealth, commitment rather than ambition." ~Riccardo Muti

I know many of our members' recordings are used for other people's pet projects, like background music in films, book readings, videos, etc...

Well, I seem to fall in the 'etc...' category. One of my recordings - Joplin's Original Rags - has ended up as background music in an online video game! Can you imagine that? I was contacted by the game's creator, Tom Sennett, when the project was in still in beta but now it's all over the net, free for anyone to play.The game is called "When the bomb goes off" and you got only 5 seconds to complete a task before the world is blown to pieces! You can find it here:http://www.wherecouldtom.beThere is more fun stuff there also, the guy has done an amazing job, design-wise.You can also play it here (it's a faster link I think):http://www.kongregate.com/games/CoolMoo ... b-goes-off

@George (and Scott - forgot to say this earlier) - thanks for the nice compliments on my playing, but this mazurka is one of the easier ones so really anybody can play it.

@George - I understand what you're saying about our recordings going into some 'shady' places. One member not long ago directed us to a site that has several members' recordings but also some porn! ( Chris probably remembers that! ) Also, I find it strange that there are so many internet sites that the only thing they do is constantly add mp3's and applying every kind of tag possible.

@Pantelis - your music in that game - great! I loved that. And now because of you I have just spent the last 15 minutes getting blown up about a hundred times! (that's a hard game!)

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

Like what Pantelis said about having his recordings in 'etc...places', I have another 'etc...' place now, too. Somebody from a financial company based in Pennsylvania (birthplace of Samuel Barber) asked me today if I would give my permission for them to use one of my Barber recordings for their 'on-hold' music. You know, when you call some place and get put on hold - the music you have to hear while you wait on the phone? I think that's so funny! And I'm pretty sure the person asking me is not a pianist because if he was, then he'd know that my playing of the Barber piece gets a little dicey in the middle parts.

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

Listen, John, I warned you that we here on the forum are all adults. Even though you are very young, innocent, and impressionable, it is not your place to reprimand any of us here. Comprende?

We keep getting off on the wrong foot >.>. I was not trying to reprimand anybody and I'm not easily influenced. I would try to change the subject from bestiality if I were 4 or 5 years older, though I really was only making a joke. I respect your authority, though, and I suppose I'll just try to stay out of any threads like uh, this, in the future Sorry I continue to cause trouble!

And that other site was not good! All I remember is a blonde with big you-know-whats doing something on a horse. Disgusting....

Ah yikes. That's almost as sick as child porn.

Not from a horse's point of view!

Err... Recording Stuff.. let's uh, talk about that. Please.

Too funny!

Listen, John, I warned you that we here on the forum are all adults. Even though you are very young, innocent, and impressionable, it is not your place to reprimand any of us here. Comprende?

PianoLady, it surprises me how well you handle a situation as such! Very respectful and to the point! Anyway, the main reason I am posting this is because, I watched the video, and it shocked me of how clear the recording it! Which piano do you use? It truly sounds better than my Steinway at home! Not to mention your very precise execution of the dynamics in this mazurka. One of my favorite mazurkas of Chopin, and such high in his character! I am new to the site, and do not know much about your playing, but from one recording, I can tell you are truly a professional!

PianoLady, it surprises me how well you handle a situation as such! Very respectful and to the point! Anyway, the main reason I am posting this is because, I watched the video, and it shocked me of how clear the recording it! Which piano do you use? It truly sounds better than my Steinway at home! Not to mention your very precise execution of the dynamics in this mazurka. One of my favorite mazurkas of Chopin, and such high in his character! I am new to the site, and do not know much about your playing, but from one recording, I can tell you are truly a professional!

Hello Chopaninoff and welcome to Piano Society. And I must say, you certainly know how to get in my good graces

Ok, seriously - thank you for the kind remarks. My piano is a Yamaha C2 grand. I like its sound too although I think it is the new editing program I am now using that makes my piano sound even better. It seems to be all in the reverb - that makes a huge difference in the audio. Also I use a little 'hiss' filtering.

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

PianoLady, it surprises me how well you handle a situation as such! Very respectful and to the point! Anyway, the main reason I am posting this is because, I watched the video, and it shocked me of how clear the recording it! Which piano do you use? It truly sounds better than my Steinway at home! Not to mention your very precise execution of the dynamics in this mazurka. One of my favorite mazurkas of Chopin, and such high in his character! I am new to the site, and do not know much about your playing, but from one recording, I can tell you are truly a professional!

Hello Chopaninoff and welcome to Piano Society. And I must say, you certainly know how to get in my good graces

Ok, seriously - thank you for the kind remarks. My piano is a Yamaha C2 grand. I like its sound too although I think it is the new editing program I am now using that makes my piano sound even better. It seems to be all in the reverb - that makes a huge difference in the audio. Also I use a little 'hiss' filtering.

YAMAHA C2? I would gladly trade in my Steinway "B" for that! WITH THE BENCH! haha. Just kidding. Thanks for the reply! Good luck and if there are any other recordings of yours please tell me! Do you have a youtube? Or should I private message you for details? Dont wanna spam the forum!

YAMAHA C2? I would gladly trade in my Steinway "B" for that! WITH THE BENCH! haha. Just kidding. Thanks for the reply! Good luck and if there are any other recordings of yours please tell me! Do you have a youtube? Or should I private message you for details? Dont wanna spam the forum!

You are funny! Yes, I have a Youtube channel. The link for it is right here - on the bottom of all my posts! I also have a few recordings on the site. Not all of them are good, though, but I keep trying... You can see my list of recordings here: http://pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=859

p.s. My bench is already pretty nice. But if you have one of those new hydraulic benches, then I'll trade you that!

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

YAMAHA C2? I would gladly trade in my Steinway "B" for that! WITH THE BENCH! haha. Just kidding. Thanks for the reply! Good luck and if there are any other recordings of yours please tell me! Do you have a youtube? Or should I private message you for details? Dont wanna spam the forum!

You are funny! Yes, I have a Youtube channel. The link for it is right here - on the bottom of all my posts! I also have a few recordings on the site. Not all of them are good, though, but I keep trying... You can see my list of recordings here: http://pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=859

p.s. My bench is already pretty nice. But if you have one of those new hydraulic benches, then I'll trade you that!

Ill have the bench made out of gold! Well...colored yellow, but you can tell your guests that its gold! Thats what I do! Anyway, thanks for the link, I will surely watch your videos, perhaps even comment on one or two Have a good night Monica!

I almost never watch TV or movies, but my roommate was watching a movie called Mother Knows Best the other day, and I heard the Chopin 27/2 nocturne in D-flat being used as background music, so I stopped to listen. They used the whole thing, and the reason I stopped to listen was that it was obviously an amateur recording. Not bad, but definitely not polished like a professional recording. I wonder if they stole it from here or another similar site.

I almost never watch TV or movies, but my roommate was watching a movie called Mother Knows Best the other day, and I heard the Chopin 27/2 nocturne in D-flat being used as background music, so I stopped to listen. They used the whole thing, and the reason I stopped to listen was that it was obviously an amateur recording. Not bad, but definitely not polished like a professional recording. I wonder if they stole it from here or another similar site.

Ohhh, our favorite nocturne (at least it's still mine). That's interesting. You don't normally hear an 'entire' piece in a movie. Is it a 'newer' movie? They could have stolen it from our site - we often get requests to use our recordings from people making films. But also lots of people don't ask.

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

I looked the movie up on IMDB, and it appears to be from 1997 (so, too old for it to be a PS recording). I couldn't find the excerpt on YouTube. I wonder if it was something like the music director playing it himself or something.

As to 27/2 being my favorite nocturne...it probably still is, though 48/1 competes. I'm re-working 55/1 right now to record, and I had forgotten how much I liked that one, but I don't think I like it as much as the other two.

I looked the movie up on IMDB, and it appears to be from 1997 (so, too old for it to be a PS recording). I couldn't find the excerpt on YouTube. I wonder if it was something like the music director playing it himself or something.

As to 27/2 being my favorite nocturne...it probably still is, though 48/1 competes. I'm re-working 55/1 right now to record, and I had forgotten how much I liked that one, but I don't think I like it as much as the other two.

Terez, the 3 nocturnes you mentioned ^^ are my top 3, along with Opus 62 no 2 in E major...When you record opus 55 no 1, could you send it to me? I also have a recording of it as well...I would like to compare if you are not against that. Can you play Op 48 no 1 as well?

I have never worked on 48/1. I remember trying to play through it as recently as when Sandro submitted it (which some of you might recall, as his interpretation sparked a few flames). I think that was about 2 years ago, and I might have tried it even more recently (like about a year ago). At that point, I still felt like it would be immensely difficult for me. I have read through it again recently after having worked on a good number of more difficult things (mostly Bach, but also recently Chopin 25/1 and 25/11), and I think that I might be able to do it with not too much work. It might be a little while, though, because I'm working on a recital (which will have etudes rather than nocturnes, and one of those etudes might be 25/10, which would be a nice prelude to working on 48/1).

55/1 has been more work than I anticipated. I played it when I was young, but now that I'm older I realize it requires a very mature pedal technique and also contrapuntal fingers. The actual fingerwork isn't so difficult (especially after playing Bach a lot), but getting the pedal just right has been a lot of work for me, partly because I'm using the sostenuto pedal a good bit, and partly because my pedal technique is weak to begin. I'm trying to research Chopin's pianos, and the pedals in particular, but part of me doesn't really care if he had a sostenuto pedal then or not (in the same way that I don't care that Bach didn't write for piano, or pedals at all). There are several opportunities in the piece to make something better by using it, so I shall.

In any case, the pianos as my school are all in bad shape right now because the AC was broken for over a week. I noticed earlier in the week that our piano technician seemed to have taken a vacation, as he wasn't around (I was looking for him because the good Steinway is horribly out of tune, and I won't record on any other piano while I have access to that one), and now I know why he was so angry the last time I saw him. He was working on the piano that I use most often to practice in my teacher's office and he did NOT look happy about it, and I apologized to him for banging on it all the time while practicing Chopin 25/11, and he said, "No, there's nothing you can do to hurt this piano." I was thinking at the time that I know that isn't exactly true, and wondering if he was implying that he thought I didn't practice very often. But now I know. So all the pianos have gone wonky due to the high humidity and heat, and when the piano technician comes back he will have a lot of work to do. I am hoping that I can convince him to start with the good Steinway so I can get some recording done, but we will see.

That brings to mind a question: how do you Euros keep a piano in tune in the summer with no AC? I know it gets hot there.

I have never worked on 48/1. I remember trying to play through it as recently as when Sandro submitted it (which some of you might recall, as his interpretation sparked a few flames). I think that was about 2 years ago, and I might have tried it even more recently (like about a year ago). At that point, I still felt like it would be immensely difficult for me. I have read through it again recently after having worked on a good number of more difficult things (mostly Bach, but also recently Chopin 25/1 and 25/11), and I think that I might be able to do it with not too much work. It might be a little while, though, because I'm working on a recital (which will have etudes rather than nocturnes, and one of those etudes might be 25/10, which would be a nice prelude to working on 48/1).

55/1 has been more work than I anticipated. I played it when I was young, but now that I'm older I realize it requires a very mature pedal technique and also contrapuntal fingers. The actual fingerwork isn't so difficult (especially after playing Bach a lot), but getting the pedal just right has been a lot of work for me, partly because I'm using the sostenuto pedal a good bit, and partly because my pedal technique is weak to begin. I'm trying to research Chopin's pianos, and the pedals in particular, but part of me doesn't really care if he had a sostenuto pedal then or not (in the same way that I don't care that Bach didn't write for piano, or pedals at all). There are several opportunities in the piece to make something better by using it, so I shall.

In any case, the pianos as my school are all in bad shape right now because the AC was broken for over a week. I noticed earlier in the week that our piano technician seemed to have taken a vacation, as he wasn't around (I was looking for him because the good Steinway is horribly out of tune, and I won't record on any other piano while I have access to that one), and now I know why he was so angry the last time I saw him. He was working on the piano that I use most often to practice in my teacher's office and he did NOT look happy about it, and I apologized to him for banging on it all the time while practicing Chopin 25/11, and he said, "No, there's nothing you can do to hurt this piano." I was thinking at the time that I know that isn't exactly true, and wondering if he was implying that he thought I didn't practice very often. But now I know. So all the pianos have gone wonky due to the high humidity and heat, and when the piano technician comes back he will have a lot of work to do. I am hoping that I can convince him to start with the good Steinway so I can get some recording done, but we will see.

That brings to mind a question: how do you Euros keep a piano in tune in the summer with no AC? I know it gets hot there.

Terez, I studied at the Central Music School in Moscow under Tatiana Petrovna Nikolayeva...Being that it is a wealthy school we had fair AC...I always played on a Steinway in the practice rooms. When giving recitals we had a nice Bosendorfor to perform on. In the Moscow Conservatory I didn't need to worry about it either...But in some music schools that I gave recitals in, they do not maintain their pianos as well...Or maybe I was in a "not so good" school. The finest piano I have ever played on was indeed a Fazioli...That was when I was giving my farewell recital from the Central School of Music. I have not encountered a piano that had such a singing tone. Steinway is good, but nothing can beat a Fazioli. I noticed you wanted to research Chopin's piano...I have visited the Pleyel Museum a few years ago and had a chance to play on a Pleyel. Very different of course...The keys are much more narrower and the pedal is very sensitive along with the touch of the keys... I agree with you on the finger work and the pedaling. I use the Paderewski edition and the pedal is very strange...He uses the pedal on the bass note and tell us to lift on the chord in the left hand...yet this does not sound right...Well at least to me it does not..so what I do is use the late pedal technique ( I do not know how it is called in English) For example... i will take the F in the left hand, than play the chord (A, C, F) and change the pedal quickly right after I play the chord...Etc. Do you have another way?

Sorry to interrupt - I just want to say that last week for the first time I played on a Fazioli piano. Actually, I played on two Faziolis! The smooth tone, the weight of the keys, the una corda pedal - so gorgeous! I really love Fazioli - now my favorite piano!!

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

Sorry to interrupt - I just want to say that last week for the first time I played on a Fazioli piano. Actually, I played on two Faziolis! The smooth tone, the weight of the keys, the una corda pedal - so gorgeous! I really love Fazioli - now my favorite piano!!

How could such a talented pianist like yourself dare to apologize for interrupting? Monica, Did you happen to play on the 4 pedal piano? And yes the smooth touch of the keys cannot be beaten, let alone the sound! you must have played at a big venue! Faziolis are quite a price...

Sorry to interrupt - I just want to say that last week for the first time I played on a Fazioli piano. Actually, I played on two Faziolis! The smooth tone, the weight of the keys, the una corda pedal - so gorgeous! I really love Fazioli - now my favorite piano!!

How could such a talented pianist like yourself dare to apologize for interrupting? Monica, Did you happen to play on the 4 pedal piano? And yes the smooth touch of the keys cannot be beaten, let alone the sound! you must have played at a big venue! Faziolis are quite a price...

yes, I know about the price! And no - 'my' pianos had only three pedals. I forgot the model number - think they were around 7 1/2 feet. Here is one of them (sorry about my foot - lol)

And here is the other one:

Please tell me - what is a fourth pedal, what does it do? I have never seen that!

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

I use the Paderewski edition and the pedal is very strange...He uses the pedal on the bass note and tell us to lift on the chord in the left hand...yet this does not sound right...Well at least to me it does not..so what I do is use the late pedal technique ( I do not know how it is called in English) For example... i will take the F in the left hand, than play the chord (A, C, F) and change the pedal quickly right after I play the chord...Etc. Do you have another way?

I find the 'late pedal' technique to be useful only in the stretto section after the return, and then only sometimes...and it is useful in the way you describe only if there is some reason not to sustain the bass note over the 2nd and 4th beats. In the beginning, I mostly use just damper pedal for each half note (which is how it's marked in Mikuli), but in the place where the melody has dissonance (C-B-C-Db-C), I use the sostenuto pedal to sustain the bass note. Most pianists either allow the dissonance to blur or drop the bass note to change pedal, and I probably would too (likely the former) if not for the other places in the piece that inspire the use of the sostenuto pedal. It seems like a lot of effort for such a simple effect, but I think that we are simply too unaccustomed to using the sostenuto pedal in general.

Sorry to interrupt - I just want to say that last week for the first time I played on a Fazioli piano. Actually, I played on two Faziolis! The smooth tone, the weight of the keys, the una corda pedal - so gorgeous! I really love Fazioli - now my favorite piano!!

How could such a talented pianist like yourself dare to apologize for interrupting? Monica, Did you happen to play on the 4 pedal piano? And yes the smooth touch of the keys cannot be beaten, let alone the sound! you must have played at a big venue! Faziolis are quite a price...

yes, I know about the price! And no - 'my' pianos had only three pedals. I forgot the model number - think they were around 7 1/2 feet. Here is one of them (sorry about my foot - lol)

And here is the other one:

Please tell me - what is a fourth pedal, what does it do? I have never seen that!

Well Monika...The model that I played on was a F308 which was a 10 feet and 2 inches grand piano! Can you imagine the size of that? Thats almost more than 2 feet longer than a Steinway D. A Steinway D is a great instrument...But imagine a piano 2 feet longer than that? Its sound is just unbeatable...And the key action... My god I played Chopin's etude Op 25 no 12 in C minor and I never played it so smooth and fast! Anyway back to the pedal...It has a fourth pedal of the right and what it does it brings the hammers closer to the strings, decreasing the volume while maintaining the normal tone. Its basically like the Sostenuto pedal but it looks you have the original tone while playing softer.

I use the Paderewski edition and the pedal is very strange...He uses the pedal on the bass note and tell us to lift on the chord in the left hand...yet this does not sound right...Well at least to me it does not..so what I do is use the late pedal technique ( I do not know how it is called in English) For example... i will take the F in the left hand, than play the chord (A, C, F) and change the pedal quickly right after I play the chord...Etc. Do you have another way?

I find the 'late pedal' technique to be useful only in the stretto section after the return, and then only sometimes...and it is useful in the way you describe only if there is some reason not to sustain the bass note over the 2nd and 4th beats. In the beginning, I mostly use just damper pedal for each half note (which is how it's marked in Mikuli), but in the place where the melody has dissonance (C-B-C-Db-C), I use the sostenuto pedal to sustain the bass note. Most pianists either allow the dissonance to blur or drop the bass note to change pedal, and I probably would too (likely the former) if not for the other places in the piece that inspire the use of the sostenuto pedal. It seems like a lot of effort for such a simple effect, but I think that we are simply too unaccustomed to using the sostenuto pedal in general.

So I am guessing you are working on using the first pedal...I was never personally taught how to use that pedal. I mean we went over it a few times and my teacher sometimes told me to use it, but never taught me a specific way to use it. Thanks for the information though.. Will certainly try it

Wow - 10' 2" is certainly a huge piano - like one could practically roller-skate on top of it. And I'm sure it does sound spectacular! If I am ever presented with the opportunity to play one like that, I'm sure I would not want to stop. They'll have a hard time pulling me off the bench...

Thanks for the pedal explanation. Four pedals...I have enough difficulty with three!

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

So I am guessing you are working on using the first pedal...I was never personally taught how to use that pedal. I mean we went over it a few times and my teacher sometimes told me to use it, but never taught me a specific way to use it. Thanks for the information though.. Will certainly try it

The middle pedal, actually. It's a little hard to get the hang of because we're used to the damper pedal. The sostenuto pedal only sustains those notes that are already depressed when the pedal is depressed. I only use the una corda once in the whole piece, not in the last two bars, but in the two before.

So I am guessing you are working on using the first pedal...I was never personally taught how to use that pedal. I mean we went over it a few times and my teacher sometimes told me to use it, but never taught me a specific way to use it. Thanks for the information though.. Will certainly try it

The middle pedal, actually. It's a little hard to get the hang of because we're used to the damper pedal. The sostenuto pedal only sustains those notes that are already depressed when the pedal is depressed. I only use the una corda once in the whole piece, not in the last two bars, but in the two before.

Ahhh I am sorry! If only my English was as good as my Russian I can live in America peacefully! I do not use the middle pedal that often, unless I am playing a waltz. For instance I will use it in Chopin's Op 64 no 2 in the Piu Mosso section..But you gave me a good idea. Will check that out

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum